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Questions on Homelab setup

Iams3le
Userlevel 7
Badge +9

I wish to build a new HOMELAB. Here is a guide and many others I found on Reddit.
- How is your lab setup? What would you recommend? Main virtualisation solution would be VMware (would need multiple hosts here). I would also have HyperV and Proxmox VE within this environment. Yes, this is possible!

I have got my ideas, but would like to learn from you. Keep in mind, I need a cost effective solution ranging from hardware to Power etc. Here is a talking point but just talking about the installation. I do NOT need help with the setup (deployment) tips as this is a walkthrough for me. Just ideas on how to setup low a cost effective lab, but yet a Lab to be reckoned with.

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[Microsoft MVP | Veeam Legend 5* | VMware vExpert 4* | Cisco Champion 3* | Object First Ace]

62 comments

dloseke
Userlevel 7
Badge +6

Lucky guys!
Im setting up my lab with super low power / consumption hardware, 
the electricity bill is killing me here in Spain!!

Does anyone have spare ram for a Proliant Gen 8??
128GB extra would be soooo nice!

🤣🤣🤣

cheers!

🤙

 

I might be able to come up with some RAM for you Luis.  I have a couple of DL180 G8 or G9’s that are being retired…..I just need to go pick them up since I just replaced them with PowerEdge R440’s a couple months ago.

Derek M. Loseke, Senior Systems Engineer | Veeam Legend 2022-2023 | VMSP/VMTSP | VCP6-DCV | VSP/VTSP | CCNA | https://technotesanddadjokes.com | @dloseke
Scott
Userlevel 7
Badge +8

I’m lucky we have so much hydro power here. 1 rate, all year, all hours. never changes.  It’s hard to calculate when different hours are busier than others, or seasons.

 

Also I can look around but threes a good chance I have some extra ram kicking around somewhere too. 

 

I just checked and I have 128GB of Hynix HMA82GR7MFR4N-UH 16GB DDR4-2400MHz PC4-19200 ECC Registered CL17 288-Pin DIMM 1.2V Single Rank Memory Module.   Too bad that won’t work in a G8. 

Geoff Burke
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

Funny how this came up...last weekend I finally got around to installing a 20amp circuit in my garage so I could use a Tripp-Lite 2000VA UPS that I had laying around and got most of my gear plugged into it.  I had planned on sharing, so now seems as good time as any to post some pictures.  The homelab is pretty crude as it sits on top of a refrigerator in my garage and is subjected to extreme hot and extreme cold temperatures and humidity (and lack thereof).  But it gets the job done and really this hardware is solid.  The R610 that this R520 replaced ran for 3 or 4 years after it was retired from my client’s site, so in all, it was finally about 10 or 11 years old when it let out the magic smoke. 

Please don’t mind the disaster that is my garage…..I’ve learned that if you have a lot of space, you keep a lot of crap.

 

Homelab on top of the garage fridge.  Tripp-Lite 2000VA UPS, Dell PowerEdge R520 running VMware ESXi 8.0, Extreme Summit 1Gb POE 48-port switch, Ubiquiti Unified Security Gateway Pro, Synology 2-bay NAS connected via NFS for primary Veeam repository.  The CenturyLink Zyxel DSL Modem/Fiber router is a cold spare in case the Ubiquiti USG fails.  Onkyo receiver on top of everything is used to power some outdoor speakers in the back yard and indoor speakers in the garage and audio signal is supplied by a Google ChromeCast audio.

 

Side-view of the home lab with VMware ESXi 8.0 console on the monitor.

 

 

Rear view of the homelab equipment with a Geist PDU and and the newly installed 20amp circuit on the ceiling to power the UPS.

 

Holy Guacomole! you have a huge basement and great lab. My basement is all done and my wife said no way to anything technical so I have to hide laptops in different places. I had one successfully acting as a server on the floor until…. my cat Carlos decided to chase after a spider down there… :(

VMCA2022, VMCE2023, CKA, CKAD, KCNA, LFCS, PCA,TARS
dloseke
Userlevel 7
Badge +6

Holy Guacomole! you have a huge basement and great lab. My basement is all done and my wife said no way to anything technical so I have to hide laptops in different places. I had one successfully acting as a server on the floor until…. my cat Carlos decided to chase after a spider down there… :(

 

Actually, it’s my garage.  Basement is not as large, but I can get 4 cars in my garage and still have some space for a shop/storage area.  Unfortunately, after 15 years, it’s near filled with crap and needs a massive cleaning.

Derek M. Loseke, Senior Systems Engineer | Veeam Legend 2022-2023 | VMSP/VMTSP | VCP6-DCV | VSP/VTSP | CCNA | https://technotesanddadjokes.com | @dloseke
HunterLAFR
Userlevel 7
Badge +8

Lucky guys!
Im setting up my lab with super low power / consumption hardware, 
the electricity bill is killing me here in Spain!!

Does anyone have spare ram for a Proliant Gen 8??
128GB extra would be soooo nice!

🤣🤣🤣

cheers!

🤙

 

I might be able to come up with some RAM for you Luis.  I have a couple of DL180 G8 or G9’s that are being retired…..I just need to go pick them up since I just replaced them with PowerEdge R440’s a couple months ago.

Ohhhhhhhhhh

😍

ill take your word!

one day!

thanks!

Luis F.- HunterLF - HunterLAFR - lfconsulting.org
HunterLAFR
Userlevel 7
Badge +8

I’m lucky we have so much hydro power here. 1 rate, all year, all hours. never changes.  It’s hard to calculate when different hours are busier than others, or seasons.

 

Also I can look around but threes a good chance I have some extra ram kicking around somewhere too. 

 

I just checked and I have 128GB of Hynix HMA82GR7MFR4N-UH 16GB DDR4-2400MHz PC4-19200 ECC Registered CL17 288-Pin DIMM 1.2V Single Rank Memory Module.   Too bad that won’t work in a G8. 

😭
thanks buddy!

had to try.

Luis F.- HunterLF - HunterLAFR - lfconsulting.org
HunterLAFR
Userlevel 7
Badge +8

Holy Guacomole! you have a huge basement and great lab. My basement is all done and my wife said no way to anything technical so I have to hide laptops in different places. I had one successfully acting as a server on the floor until…. my cat Carlos decided to chase after a spider down there… :(

 

Actually, it’s my garage.  Basement is not as large, but I can get 4 cars in my garage and still have some space for a shop/storage area.  Unfortunately, after 15 years, it’s near filled with crap and needs a massive cleaning.

That’s huge bro!

inhave a small warehouse, but as I also read somewhere, the wife is tracing me to reduce the lab day by day!

and my Diogenes IT syndrome it’s being active many years!

cheers!

Luis F.- HunterLF - HunterLAFR - lfconsulting.org
Geoff Burke
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

Hey on this topic. What about these NUC things? i.e. very small, low power. Any suggestions?

VMCA2022, VMCE2023, CKA, CKAD, KCNA, LFCS, PCA,TARS
HunterLAFR
Userlevel 7
Badge +8

Hey on this topic. What about these NUC things? i.e. very small, low power. Any suggestions?

Im testing a “mini” computers, they look great!
Better than a raspberry pi, but a bit limited.

https://lfconsulting.org/zima-board

Is in Spanish, but here the official website in English!

https://www.zimaboard.com

you’ve got different versions, it has 2 nics and, 2 sata 3, and 1 pic-e x4 port!

amazing!

cheers.

Luis F.- HunterLF - HunterLAFR - lfconsulting.org
coolsport00
Userlevel 7
Badge +17

I personally haven’t had a lab in years. Back in the day, literally all I used was VMW Workstation config’d with 4-5 VMs, which did me well for what I was using it for. I need to think about actually investing in a real one...or, think about what my career forcus will be moving forward, meaning I may not even need one. 

Really great thread of comments in this post all! Lots to digest!

Shane Williford - Veeam VMCA/VMCE | Veeam Legend | VUG Leader | VCP-DCV | Twitter: @coolsport00
Geoff Burke
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

Hey on this topic. What about these NUC things? i.e. very small, low power. Any suggestions?

Im testing a “mini” computers, they look great!
Better than a raspberry pi, but a bit limited.

https://lfconsulting.org/zima-board

Is in Spanish, but here the official website in English!

https://www.zimaboard.com

you’ve got different versions, it has 2 nics and, 2 sata 3, and 1 pic-e x4 port!

amazing!

cheers.

Thanks @HunterLAFR I need something small that passes the Burke Customs and Border control for tech stuff in the house, so it has to be small and not noticeable :) . I wanted to get on the Pi stuff but they were hard to get at one point and pretty expensive. However, I might revisit that. 

VMCA2022, VMCE2023, CKA, CKAD, KCNA, LFCS, PCA,TARS
HunterLAFR
Userlevel 7
Badge +8

Hey on this topic. What about these NUC things? i.e. very small, low power. Any suggestions?

Im testing a “mini” computers, they look great!
Better than a raspberry pi, but a bit limited.

https://lfconsulting.org/zima-board

Is in Spanish, but here the official website in English!

https://www.zimaboard.com

you’ve got different versions, it has 2 nics and, 2 sata 3, and 1 pic-e x4 port!

amazing!

cheers.

Thanks @HunterLAFR I need something small that passes the Burke Customs and Border control for tech stuff in the house, so it has to be small and not noticeable :) . I wanted to get on the Pi stuff but they were hard to get at one point and pretty expensive. However, I might revisit that. 

Picture comparing both

pi on the left!

 

Luis F.- HunterLF - HunterLAFR - lfconsulting.org

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